Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-11-11
LADY RIDLEY.

IAOI hiOEGT.
From Maine Horse Breeders Monthly.l
Editor Monthly Il have Just returned
from tour in Mass, where | had an op-
portunity of looking at some of the noted
horse-stock of that State, of which NAV
speak in a future communication. One
object had in view was, to trace the
noted Maine-bred mare, Lady Ridley,
dam of Ridley's Knox. | am surprised
that in your researches you have had no
information regarding this mare. Her
name even does not appear in either Vol.
of your "Maine Bred Horses" or "Notcd
Maine Horses" We can hardly afford
to pass her by without notice. She was
foaled in a. ID. 1857, the property of
Mr.. Augustus Hood of Wayne. She was
a large, black mare, standing 1913 high,
100 lbs, Il model of strength and beauty.
Better feet and legs were never placed
under any horse. She was unusually
wide through the STILES, very long,
slightly sloping hips set well apart. ex-
ceeding wide loin, back of medium length
and slightly reaching, barrel compare
lively round and well ribbed back, very
deep through the shoulders which were
well inclined, neck of medium length and
well set on shoulders, head of medium
size, thick through the brain portion.
wide between the eyes, rather thick
through the jowls, we'll tapered to the
muzzle, ear medium size and we'll cut,
heavy name and tail well carried. Her
pedigree is as follows: sire Old Eaton.
by Avery Horse, by Bucephalus, by
Mambrino, by Imp. Messenger. Dam of
Eaton Horse, the Pelton Mare, by Win
throp Messenger, by Imp. Messenger.
Dam of the Avery Horse by Sherman
Morgan, by Justin Morgan, dam the
Hood mare, by Hunton Horse, by Bush
Messenger, by Winthrop Messenger, by
Imp. Messenger. Dam of Hunton by
Winthrop Messenger, by Imp. Messenger.
Dam of Bush Messenger was a black
mare, medium size, supposed to be an
inbred Morgan; I'd dam the old Maxim
mare by Swift's Black Morgan, by Sher-
man Morgan, by Justin Morgan; Sd dam
a Morgan and Messenger mare owned by
Jos. Maxim of Wayne.
Lady Ridley was purchased when four
months old by the Ridley Bros. of Wayne.
She was allowed to run until three years
old before she was broken. Like many
Others in those days, they knew little
about rearing and fitting horses for speed
purposes, and governed by the general
belief that in order to fit horse for a
race, it was necessary to cut them short
on hay, and drive them as far and as fast
as they could stand it to ride in some
heavy farm cart, in order to gaunt them
and at the same time get up muscle
they managed her accordingly, often
speeding her two or three miles with
three or four men of nearly two hundred
pounds each, to a heavy road wagon.
She was in quite number of races in
which she usually won with comparative
ease. She was once started in field of
ioiscs VI uic Iypc VI oOrrel jonathan
and had the speed of them all, leading
them to the three-quarter pole, but in
her starved condition, too weak to finish
up to her clip. People were always
willing to back her when it was known
to them that her owner had had only
twenty-four hours notice of trot,
knowing that when she was having
enough to eat she could down the field
every time, no matter how fast. Several
of these races were to the ice, where
when called upon she could show 2.2O
clip, and has done so repeatedly. With
the treatment she received, she was a re-
markable mare. When seven years old